In my year in review post, I mentioned that I listened in on a conference call with Dr. Oz right before Christmas. It was chock full of information on healthy living. The purpose of the call was to introduce his new 11 Weeks to Move It and Lose It weight loss program, which debuts tomorrow, January 3rd, on the first show of the season.

I learned a ton of great information from Dr. Oz and was even able to ask him a question of my own. I'd love to share every word of the teleconference, but that would take a dozen posts. So here's a highlight of the most useful information on weight loss for families from Dr. Oz that I took away from the call, along with some fun anecdotes I think are just too neat not to share.

His Kids Interrupt Him, Too

One of the cutest things about this phone call is that Dr. Oz was working from home and was interrupted by one of his kids toward the beginning of the teleconference. I try to schedule phone calls and interviews for when the kids are at school and day care, but sometimes doing this type of work when the kids are at home just can't be avoided. It was refreshing to know that even a high powered celebrity such as Dr. Oz deals with these issues as well!

The Best Toys Involve Doing Something With Someone Else

My question for Dr. Oz had to do with the game systems that were sure to be under the Christmas tree, like Wii, XBOX Kinect and PlayStation Move. I wanted to know what kinds of precautions Dr. Oz had for inactive and sedentary families such as mine who would be engaging in physical activities with these systems. He didn't actually answer my question directly, but he did go into the kinds of toys and games he recommends. In fact, he joked about quibbling with his wife about the kinds of presents she was buying for the kids. He says, "I think we should rethink the fact that we don't let our kids play as much...and kids learn a lot from playing." He goes on to mention that such skills learned during play are stress management, as well as formation of bonds and teams, and that play has historically been a very adaptive social tool.

He says,"So I try to buy the kids games where they are forced to play with other kids or with me. God forbid, they want to play with me!" And guess what one of the presents Dr. Oz bought his kids for Christmas was? It was Twister! He likes this game because it becomes an interactive tool to get them active as a family. In terms of the kinds of toys and games his kids play with, he keep one thing in the back of his mind - "Could they do this by themselves with nobody else around? If that's the case, I'd rather them not have it.

Make Changes That Are Lifelong

Dr. Oz was asked why the program is eleven weeks long. His answer was, "I think it takes three months for us to be able to meausre that you will live longer if you've made a lifestyle change." He goes on to say that approximately three months is the time it takes to train the brain to stick with and make a lasting change, though the synaptic junctions and neurons in the brain can reconfigure themselves in two to four weeks. "You don't measure life expectancy impvement in a month. It usually takes about three months for that to happen." Dr. Oz says.

Dr. Oz Has His Food Weaknesses, Too

Finally, I have to tell you that Dr. Oz shared a couple of his food weaknesses with us. He gives into temptation when it comes to baklava and chocolate covered nuts! He says, "Between baklava and chocolate covered nuts, that's like the one-two punch that puts me over the edge. I could just rifle through a pound of this stuff!" He recommends that you just taste a small portion, then drink some water to cleanse the palate. This is a way of keeping a check on overindulging.

So there you have it. Dr. Oz is just as human as the rest of us. He has his weaknesses in terms of food cravings, and his kids come first when it comes to work/life balance. Tune in to his show tomorrow, Monday, January 11th to learn more about the 11 Weeks to Move It and Lose It program.

What are your health and fitness goals for the new year?

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Candace Cameron recently. The star of the long-running Full House is all grown up now, and she's absolutely lovely, both inside and out. She's married and has three children. Here's a picture of her beautiful family.

We talked about her life as a mom, how she stays in shape and keeps her family healthy, as well as about her ABC Family show, Make It Or Break It. I learned quite a bit about how she balances a busy career with being a mom. I hope you'll take some time to enjoy our interview.